Entertainment · Books & Arts · 1 day ago
English Heritage rejects blue plaque bid for Monty Python’s Graham Chapman
English Heritage has rejected a request for a blue plaque honouring Graham Chapman in London.
Chapman was a Monty Python performer and co-writer who played the lead role in the 1979 film Monty Python’s Life of Brian.
He died in 1989, aged 48.
The official plaque scheme receives about 80 nominations a year, and English Heritage said it plans to install nine plaques this year.
The organisation said it had carefully considered Chapman’s nomination and that the selection process is highly competitive.
Friends and supporters have suggested that a drive to recognise more Black and Asian figures may have affected the decision, but English Heritage did not give that as its reason.
Chapman already has an unofficial plaque at the Angel pub in Highgate, put up in 2012.
English Heritage has rejected a nomination for a blue plaque honouring Monty Python star Graham Chapman.
The charity said it had carefully considered the nomination and that its selection process was highly competitive.
Friends and supporters suggested Chapman may have been overlooked amid efforts to honour more ethnic minority figures.
John Cleese criticised the decision, while English Heritage did not state a specific reason for rejecting Chapman.
Chapman died aged 48 in 1989 and was best known for playing the title role in Monty Python’s The Life of Brian.
- Who
- English Heritage rejected the nomination for Graham Chapman, a Monty Python performer and writer.
- What
- A request for a blue plaque honouring Chapman was turned down.
- When
- The decision was reported on 10 October 2026.
- Where
- The plaque scheme is run in London. The proposed plaque’s location is Not stated.
- Why
- English Heritage said the process was highly competitive but gave no specific reason for rejecting the nomination.
Chapman’s friends and supporters
English Heritage
Reason for decision
Chapman’s friends and supporters
Friends and supporters feared Chapman may have been overlooked amid a drive to honour more black and Asian figures.
English Heritage
English Heritage said it carefully considered the nomination and that many exceptional candidates compete each year.
I wonder why they have not decided to go ahead.
The selection process is highly competitive, with many exceptional candidates considered each year.
Graham would be very tickled.
Chapman quit drinking.
Chapman died aged 48.
An unofficial plaque was put up in Chapman’s honour on the side of the Angel pub in Highgate, north London.
The Daily Mail reported that English Heritage had rejected the nomination for a blue plaque.
- Age at death
- 48
- Year of death
- 1989
- Unofficial plaque
- Put up in 2012 at the Angel pub in Highgate, north London
- Annual nominations
- English Heritage receives about 80
- Plaques planned that year
- Nine
Sources
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